Want to use primary sources in the classroom, but not quite sure how to incorporate them? Comfortable using primary sources, but need new records to supplement existing curriculum? Need new analysis strategies to help students better understand primary sources? Explore the Primary Sources Toolkit.

Looking for an engaging and fun hands-on way to supplement existing curriculum? Consider reserving a Traveling Trunk.

Presidential Hats Program

Give your students the opportunity to be detectives! Our Presidential Hats program is designed for students in grades 3 - 5. Students examine evidence from the National Archives to determine the powers of the President using clues and deductive reasoning. Students rotate among 7 stations, each equipped with a symbolic hat. The hat at each station represents a different role of the American President. This is a fun and interactive way for students to learn about American Presidents. Once students complete the rotation of all stations, their worksheets are constructed into a tall top hat, so they can literally “wear” the knowledge they learned.

The Presidential Hats Program teaches students the many roles a U.S. President plays. Students learn using technology in a cooperative setting and are asked to read and discuss, comprehend, write, draw an illustration (another component of their worksheet), and construct. Additionally, all learning modalities are addressed: kinesthetic, auditory, visual, and tactile. Email Bush43Education@nara.gov for more information.

Learn more about the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum - the facility, staff, important partnerships, contact information, how to support or volunteer, applicable laws and regulations, and the National Archives and Records Administration.